Jurors struggling with child rape charge

Friday

Jan 28, 2011 at 12:01 AM

By Laurie Mason Schroeder Staff Writer

Jermaine "Maniac" Jackson took the stand and claimed the 10-year-old girl and her mother conspired to frame him for rape.

Jurors in the case of accused child rapist Jermaine "Maniac" Jackson told the Bucks County judge overseeing Jackson's trial that they were deadlocked late Thursday and couldn't reach a unanimous verdict.

Judge Theodore Fritsch noted that the panel of six men and six women had only been deliberating for three hours and ordered them to return to the courthouse today to resume talks.

Jackson, 37, of Bensalem, is standing trial on charges of rape of a child and related counts. If convicted, the father of 12 could face more than 10 years behind bars.

The alleged victim, a 10-year-old girl, testified that Jackson gave her a pill that made her sleepy, then raped her.

The girl's mother, Jackson's girlfriend, told the jury that she woke up and saw Jackson attacking the child and began screaming.

She testified that Jackson apologized, claimed to be "delusional" and said he mistook the girl for her. He then ripped a phone cord out of a wall and tried to block her and her children from leaving their Creekside apartment before fleeing.

During the three-day trial, jurors were shown DNA evidence and told how scientists found Jackson's semen inside the child's pajama pants.

A child abuse expert also detailed the girl's internal injuries.

Jackson took the stand Thursday and denied the charges.

He said the mother and girl conspired to frame him because the mother was angry about him spending more time with his other children and their mothers and because he'd accused the mother of using drugs.

Jackson said that he only hid in the woods after the alleged rape for 12 hours because he was afraid law enforcement would send him to prison over an unrelated warrant, and that he tried to flush his pants down a police station toilet because officers were taunting him with "mind games."